How to Make a Leather Pen

Introduction: How to Make a Leather Pen

About: I make all sorts of stuff. You can watch my YouTube Channel or Follow me on other Social media!
More About Ollaris »

In this Instructable, I'll show you how I made this pen which has an Estwing Hammer look. Hope you find some inspiration to make your own! Be sure to watch the Video above that goes side by side with this article and Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for upcoming projects!

This pen can be made on a woodturning lathe or if you want to you can use a Drill and a Belt Sander to shape the leather.

If you don't have a wood lathe you can use a Drill instead to turn the pen. Just use a Bolt that fits inside the pen tube and it is long enough so that you can chuck it up in the drill. While turning the pen tube with the drill you can sand the leather with a file/rasp or use a belt sander.

Step 2: Preparing the Leather

You can use any thickness of leather just keep in mind that if you use thin leather you need more of it.

I got this thick leather leftover from a leatherworker. Cut the leather into 20mm (3/4") wide strips, then to equal squares, (you don't need to make them precise) Afterwards select a hole punch that has a smaller diameter than the pen tube ( Mine was 7mm OD but I made the holes 6mm) to ensure a snug fit.

Step 3: Gluing the Blank

Repeat these steps for both the brass tubes:

Use some p80 grit sandpaper to scuff up the brass tube so that the glue has more surface to stick.

Use some PVA glue (or wood glue) to brush on the tube and all the individual leather pieces, push them on the brass tube tightly and use enough glue to soak them. Make sure that every leather has the fuzzy side to the skin side glued.

Use a Clamp or a Vice to clamp the blank together while you leave it to dry overnight.

Step 4: Turning the Blank

The next day when the glue has dried, you can trim the leather flush with the brass tube using a Flush trim drill bit ( mostly sold with a pen turning kit) or Sand it down with a belt or disk sander making sure the ends are square to the tube.

As I wrote in the intro already you can either make this with a woodturning lathe or you can turn the pen with a drill press or even a handheld drill.

Begin by turning the blank round and shaping the ends flush with the bushing so that you get a smooth transition ( the bushings have the same diameter than the metal hardware that comes with the pen kit.

Afer you shaped both blanks to your liking head over to the next step!

Step 5: Finish the Leather!

After the leather is shaped use some thin CA glue ( super glue) to soak the blank and let it cure or use an activator spray to make the process quicker.

After the CA glue has dried you can use different grits of sandpaper starting with P80 all the way up to P400 followed by wet sanding up to p1000 grit.

Afterwards, apply 2 thin coats of CA glue to protect the pen. or just use Spray lacquer for a protective finish.

Step 6: Asemble the Pen

Assemble the pen as the instructions say that comes with the pen kit by using a Clamp to push the metal hardware in the finished leather blanks.

I hope you enjoyed this article and found some inspiration to make your own and if you want to see more great projects you can subscribe my YouTube Channel too!

If you liked this project please Vote for it! Thank you very much!

Please make sure you watched the video build to get a better understanding the entire process, and it also helps me out to make more of these projects!